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Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Mum warns parents of danger after son dies from sniffing aerosol

A GRIEVING mum whose son died from sniffing an aerosol has warned parents about the killer lurking in their cupboards.

Elaine Dorans lost Scott, 22, after her youngest child got high from a can of anti-perspirant.

Elaine, 49, of Linwood, Renfrewshire, said: "I saw my Scott lying on the floor as the paramedics worked on him and I couldn't do anything to save him.

"He'd been sniffing an ordinary, everyday can of antiperspirant - the type found in every household, on every supermarket shelf - and it killed him.

"I want parents and kids to hear what happened to Scott, to raise awareness about the killer in our cupboards.

"Not enough is being done to warn people."

Scott had been a promising ice hockey player but his dreams of turning pro were wrecked by an ankle injury when he was 15.

He trained as an engineer but became depressed when he could not find a full-time job.

Elaine, who has two other sons, discovered Scott's sniffing habit last year.

She said: "He looked spaced out and when I questioned him he admitted he'd been sniffing an aerosol.

"I was shocked but gave him a talking to and we went away for the weekend to work it out.

"Scott realised how stupid he'd been and promised never to touch the stuff again.

"He said he'd been depressed about not getting a full-time job and I told him nothing was worth going down that road.

"I don't believe he touched it again until the night he died."

On the tragic night two months ago Scott was visiting his oldest brother Franklin's house nearby.

Franklin, 30, said: "I left him sitting on the couch. A short while later, something woke me up and when I went through I could see Scott's eyes rolling about in his head and he was foaming at the mouth. I was terrified."

Elaine was called and the frantic family followed the ambulance to Paisley's Royal Alexandra Hospital where Scott was pronounced dead.

Elaine said: "I can't stop dreaming about him. I reach out to touch him and he's not there.

"It's ripped us all to bits. We were so close and Scott was such a loving boy.

"I grabbed the aerosols in my cupboards and there was only a tiny warning on them that solvents can kill.

"It was so small, I'd have needed a magnifying glass to see it and that's not good enough. The message needs to be put out there in big, bold letters.

"I'll be happy to go round schools to talk about what happened to my Scott if it helps save one child."

Divorcee Elaine, who had been planning a family holiday with Scott and brothers Brian, 27, and Franklin, this year, said: "He was obsessed by ice hockey.

"He stood a very good chance of realising his dream but seven years ago he suffered a treble fracture on his ankle and had to give up playing.

"He was devastated but he threw himself into studying and got qualifications in mechanical engineering at Reid Kerr College in Paisley.

"Recently he had applied to do a college course on welding. His acceptance letter came the other day but I had to tell Elaine m.scott@sundaymail.co.uk them to give his place to someone else."

Up to 10 kids die each year in Scotland from solvent abuse, usually from sniffing aerosols or lighter fluid.

John O'Brien, 54, set up the Lee O'Brien Solvent Trust (LOST) campaign group after his 16-year-old-son died in 2003 after sniffing lighter fluid.

John, of Methil, Fife, said: "There are many thousands of Scots kids taking their lives in their hands by sniffing ordinary aerosols.

"Not only do parents not realise the extreme dangers, neither do the kids.

" I don't think the government is doing nearly enough to warn kids or their parents."

The Scottish Government said: " We continue to work with a range of partners to highlight the dangers of volatile substance abuse and reduce the risks and incidence of harm."